Various methods have been proposed to form a cover over a deployable air cushion restraint located within the confines of an automotive interior part such as an instrument panel. One such method is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,126 and discloses an instrument panel in which an air cushion device is stored behind a cover or door which fits within an instrument panel opening. The instrument panel and the cover are separately fabricated and are assembled following molding of the component parts of the instrument panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,351, assigned to the assignee of the subject invention, discloses a method form integrally molding a pre-assembled door within an instrument panel to provide a cover for a safety air cushion device. The plastic instrument panel is molded about and over the door in situ of a mold cavity, and a portion of the instrument panel is removed which overlies the door to provide an opening therein to expose the door for opening movement with respect to the instrument panel upon deployment of the air cushion device.
However, these methods require the use of multiple operations to produce the combination of the instrument panel and the air bag door, and furthermore it is difficult to match color and grain of the cover material.